Exercising apparatus.



PATENTED DEC. 19, 1906.

C. A. GRABNER.

EXERGISING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10- 1904.

61mm 01 I UNITED STATES PATENT onnion. 4

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed September 10, 1904. Serial No. 224,023.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. GRABNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Warsaw, inthe county of Kosciusko and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exercising Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in exercising devices; and it has for its object, among others, to provide a simple, cheap, yet improved apparatus of this nature in which the parts shall be capable of ready application.

The device is constructed so as to be readily reversed when required, and I provide means to insure the pull being from the same point from which the yoke hangs, so as not to shake the machine when in use, and by means of connecting rod or bar in'the center of the springs I keep them from shaking or striking against each other and making a noise when in use.

One, two, three, or more springs may be employed, according to the strength and power of the device required.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention in some of its forms is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which with the numerals of reference marked thereon form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation showing one form of the invention. Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing another form of embodiment of the invention.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, 1 designates a yoke the free ends of which are provided with openings 2, as seen clearly in Fig. 1, in which are engaged the rings or the like 3, which in turn are loosely engaged in the rings 4 of the blocks 5,jin each of which in the form seen in Fig. 1 are two grooved pulleys 6 for a purpose which will be apparent from inspection of Fig. 1 and which will be referred to hereinafter.

7 represents rods or links connected with the yoke 1 at diametrically opposite points, which points are substantially in line with the points of attachment of the rings 3.

To each of these rods or links 7 is connected the ring or eye 8 of a block 9, in each of which blocks is journaled a grooved roller 10, the purpose of which will be readily understood 0m Fig. 1 and which will be made clear as the description proceeds.

11 is a yoke disposed at the opposite end of the device and having its arms 12 adapted to receive the eyes or the rings 13 of the springs 14, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The opposite ends of these springs are connected, as at 15, in any suitable manner with the blocks 16 in each of which is journaled a grooved roller 17 in the form seen in Fig. 1.

18 represents cords or ropes or other suitable means, each of which has one end 19 fastened in an eye or ring 20 of a block 16, the cord or rope then being'passed alternately around the rollers 6 and 17 of the blocks 5 and 16, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, the free ends of said ropes or cords then being passed over the pulleys 10 of the blocks 9 and provided with suitable handles 21.

In practice the device may be fixed in position in any suitable manner, preferably, however, as herein shown, 22 being brackets designed to be secured one near the floor and the other at the desired height, each of said bracketshaving a center strengtheningrib 23 and a hook portion 24. These hook portions engage the center portions of the yokes, as seen clearlyin Figs. 1 and 2, the exerciser being distended to permit of the engagement of said yokes from said hooks, the springs permitting of this distension and then serving to hold the exerciser in position.

The mode of use will be well understood by those skilled in the art. The links or rods 7, being pivotally connected with the yoke 1,

' permit of the disposition of the blocks 9, and

consequently the handles 21, at any desired angle, and no matter at what angle they may be disposed the pull upon the handles will be such as to keep the exercising device in the proper position. I

In order to keep the springs at the properdistance apart and to prevent them from striking each other when in use, I provide a spreader-bar 25, which is disposed substantially midway of the springs, as clearly shown in the drawings. There may be anydesired number of these springs, and when three are employed, as shown in Fig. 2, the spreaderbar is disposed as shown,so as to keep the side springs at the proper distance apart.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a somewhat different arrangement of parts; yet the principle is the same. In this form the yoke 1 corresponds to the yoke 1 in Fig. 1, and attached thereto near its free ends are the rings or links 26 engaging in eyes 27 on the blocks 28, in each of which is journaled a grooved roller 29, as shown. These blocks 28 are provided with rings or eyes 29 as shown. 30 represents blocks each having journaled therein two grooved rollers 3 1. and these blocks have the dependin portions 32, each of which has the elongate transverse slot 33, the lower bar 34 having a central elevation 35 for the purpose of keeping separate the eyes 36 of the springs 37, which eyes 36 are engaged in said slots, as shown. These springs have the eyes 38 at the opposite end engaged in the arms of a yoke 39, it being understood that the yokes 1 and 39 are designed to be secured in position in the same way as the yokes shown in the form in Fig. 1 or in any other desired manner. In this instance four springs are shown, and each pair is held at the proper distance apart by the spreader-bar 40. 41 represents links pivotally connected with the yoke 1 substantially at the central point of this arched portion, the other ends being connected in eyes or rings 42 of the blocks 43, in each of which is journaled a grooved roller 44. 45 represents cords or ropes each having one end secured to an eye 29 of a block 28, and this cord or rope is then passed around oneof the pulleys 31 of the block 30, then over the pulley 29, then over the other pulley 31, the block 30, and thence over the pulley 44 and provided with a handle 46. The portion of this form of the device is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It is to be noted, however, that in all the forms the pull from the loose pulley at the top is in line with or from the same point as the point of suspension of the upper yoke, so as not to shake the device.

Modifications and detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim as new is- 1. An exercising device comprising yokes, springs connected with one of said yokes, ropes connecting said springs with the other yoke and means connected with the upper yoke and receiving said ropes, and means disposed near their mid-length for holding said springs at a fixed distance apart.

2. An exercising device comprising yokes, springs connected with one of said yokes, a spreader bar connecting adjacent springs near their mid-length ropes connecting the springs with the other yoke, a block pivotally connected with the upper yoke and having pulleys over which said ropes pass.

3. An exercising device comprising yokes,

springs connected with one of said yokes, a spreader bar connecting adjacent springs near their mid-length ropes connecting the springs with the other yoke, a block pivotally connected with the upper yoke and having pulleys over which said ropes pass the connections of said blocks being disposed so that the pulley thereon is in line with the support of the upper yoke.

4. In an exercising device upper and lower yokes, springs connected with the lower yoke, blocks pivotally connected with the upper yoke, a spreader-bar connecting the springs with their mid-length blocks pivotally connected with the springs, pulleys carried by said blocks, blocks pivotally connected with the upper yoke independent of the firstmentioned blocks, and ropes connected with the lowermost blocks and passed over the pulleys of the upper and lower blocks and through those of the pivoted blocks.

5. In an exercising device,upper and lower yokes, springs connected with the lower yoke, blocks pivotally connected with the upper yoke, a spreader-bar connecting adjacent springs near their mid-length blocks pivotally connected with the springs, pulleys carried'by said blocks, blocks pivotally connected with the upper yoke independent of the first-mentioned blocks, and ropes connected with the lowermost blocks and passed over the pulleys of the upper and lower blocks and through those of the pivoted blocks the points of connection of the pivoted blocks being disposed so that the pulley is in line with the support of the upper yoke.

6. In an exercising device,upper and lower yokes, springs connected with the lower yoke, blocks pivotally connected with the upper yoke, blocks pivotally connected with the springs, pulleys carried by said blocks, blocks pivotally connected with the upper yoke independent of the first mentioned blocks, and ropes connected with the lowermost blocks and passed over the pulleys of the upper and lower blocks and through those of the pivoted blocks and spacing-bars holding said springs near their mid-length at a predetermined distance apart.

7. In an exercising device upper and lower yokes, springs connected with the lower yoke, a spreader-bar connecting adjacent springs near their mid-length ropes connecting said upper yoke with said springs, blocks in the said connection, said blocks having elongated transverse slots with separating means between their ends and receiving the eyes of the spring, and means pivotally con- ITS nected with the upper yoke and receiving the blocks having elongated transverse slots with In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' CHARLES A. GRABNER.

Witnesses:

JOHN D. DIDAMAN, JOHN A. SLoANE. 

